Bishop: Farm Bill OK for GA; Too fat to fight?

Bishop is serving his eleventh term in the House, representing Middle and SW Georgia's 2nd Congressional District.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (WALB) -

Information from Congressman Sanford D. Bishop

Georgia's Second District US Congressman Sanford D. Bishop, Jr., a member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, said the bill passed out of committee by a vote of 31 to 18.

He says Georgia will do well under the terms of the legislation.

"While not a perfect bill, the Agriculture government spending bill passed by the Appropriations Committee is boon for Georgia and our strong agriculture industry," said Bishop. "In addition to billions of dollars allotted to rural development and Land Grant universities across the country like the University of Georgia and Fort Valley State University, the bill will also invest $155 million in a new USDA Poultry Research Facility in Georgia."

The bill totals $20.9 billion in discretionary funding, which is $500 million above the President's request, and equal to the fiscal year 2014 enacted level. Including both discretionary and mandatory funding for various nutrition programs, the overall bill totals $142.5 billion.

Bishop said the bill falls short within certain areas. "School districts will be able to request an exemption waiver from healthy school lunch standards for our children," said Bishop. "I am concerned that our decreasing national health may render our nation too fat to fight in the upcoming years. This must be addressed."

According to Mission: Readiness, a non-partisan organization of senior retired military leaders, 75% of all young Americans between the ages of 17 and 24 are unable to join the military because they are medically or physically unfit, are too poorly educated, or have disqualifying criminal records.

Every year, the military discharges over 1,200 first-term enlistees before their contracts are up due to weight problems. The military must then recruit and train their replacements at a cost of $75,000 per person, totaling roughly $90 million annually.

This pales in comparison to the estimated $1.1 billion per year that the Department of Defense spends on medical care associated with excess fat and obesity through TRICARE.

WALB's First Alert Weather Team declared a First Alert Weather Day for Monday as severe weather headed to Southwest Georgia. As of 9:30 p.m., the risk of severe weather moved out of out of the area for the rest of Monday.

WALB's First Alert Weather Team declared a First Alert Weather Day for Monday as severe weather headed to Southwest Georgia. As of 9:30 p.m., the risk of severe weather moved out of out of the area for the rest of Monday.